History

The sixth head coach in the 37-year history of the Marquette men's soccer program, Steve Adlard is now in his 11th year at the helm of the Golden Eagles.

Under the guidance of Adlard, the 1993 Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year, Marquette posted the most wins in school history in 1994 (16) and compiled five straight winning seasons from 1993-97. Adlard has produced double-digit victories in six of his nine seasons. He has a 110-81-17 (.570) 10-year record at Marquette and a 163-139-26 (.537) overall mark that spans 17 seasons.

"Steve is respected professionally and personally as a man who has made quality contributions to the game of soccer and the development of his students as people and players," said Marquette Director of Athletics Bill Cords. "Under his leadership, Marquette has established a successful, well-respected program, regionally, nationally and within Conference USA."

Last season, Marquette had a very good year, but did so very quietly. After the fevered pitch of the beginning of the 2000 season, MU had the opposite start in 2001. The Golden Eagles' suffered their first loss in the season opener, eight matches earlier than in 2000. However, a five-match unbeaten streak and a pair of upests in the C-USA tournament turned the sixth-place team in Conference USA to one that was just one win shy of a conference tournament title.

MU finished the year with a 12-8-1 record and several quality wins, but were left on the doorstep of the newly-expanded NCAA Tournament.

The 2000 Golden Eagles started off as the nation's best surprise. A young Marquette squad with 19 freshmen and sophomores ran out of the gate to a 7-0-1 record, a defeat of no. 3 and eventual College Cup participants Creighton and earned a no. 7 ranking.

By the end of the season, Adlard's young crew may have come back to earth some, but still finished with a solid 10-7-1 record and the label of a team to watch in 2001.
Adlard's Golden Eagles may have been the surprise of Conference USA in 1999, when they finished 10-9 overall. Picked to finish sixth in the league's preseason poll, Marquette went 5-3 in league action to earn third place. Along the way, MU knocked off nationally-ranked Creighton and Cincinnati.
Despite registering a 9-11-1 record in 1998, Adlard led a group that came back from a 2-6 start to advance to the semifinals of the Conference USA Tournament for the third consecutive season.
Adlard guided MU to their first-ever NCAA Tournament and a share of the C-USA regular-season championship in 1997. MU earned an at-large berth to the tournament following a season in which the team consistently ranked in the top 25 in several polls. The Golden Eagles' regular-season included a victory over third-ranked Washington and a nine-game unbeaten streak. Adlard's troops ultimately finished with a 12-6-3 mark after bowing out of the NCAAs.

In 1996, Marquette reached the finals of the Conference USA Tournament for the first time in school history. MU narrowly missed capturing an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as they dropped a 2-1 decision at South Florida in the final. The Golden Eagles posted a 12-9-1 record that included a 2-1 victory at fourth-ranked Creighton. That victory vaulted Marquette into Soccer America's national rankings at No. 17, the first time the magazine had ever ranked MU, and it also marked the fourth straight season Marquette had garnered a national ranking.

In 1995, the Golden Eagles registered their third-consecutive winning season against one of the nation's toughest schedules. MU tied no. 8 Wisconsin, which went on to win the NCAA Championship, and defeated no. 11 Saint Louis 1-0.

Adlard and his squad posted many highlights in 1994, including the program's first national ranking. Marquette finished the season ranked No. 23 in the ISAA poll, but reached a high of No. 17. Other highlights included a 3-1 win over No. 5 Penn State, and a 1-0 win over Saint Louis, the first over the storried Billiken program.

In addition to his coaching duties, Adlard was involved in the development of the Valley Fields, an $8 million soccer and track facility which is home to Marquette's men's and women's soccer teams and track and field squads. He also helped establish the groundwork for the Marquette women's soccer team, which is in its sixth year of varsity status.

Adlard came to Marquette following four years (1988-91) as the director of soccer at UNC Asheville. He registered a record of 32-45-5 at the helm of the Bulldogs. Adlard also was responsible for coordinating the Lady Bulldogs' women's soccer program.

Prior to his position at UNC Asheville, Adlard was the head coach at Davis & Elkins from 1986-88. He compiled a 21-13-4 record there, including a trip to the NCAA Division II national semifinals in 1986. That year, he earned Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year honors.

Adlard's first coaching position was as an assistant at Evansville where, from 1982-86, he helped turn the Purple Aces into a national power.

A former goalkeeper, Adlard played on the professional level for several seasons in England. He was a member of the Nottingham Forest (first division) and Lincoln City (fourth division) teams.

Adlard also played on the national level as a youth in England. From 1967-69 he was a member of the national youth and grammar school teams. For three years (1969-72) he played on the English universities national team.
Adlard was a member of the 1970 and 1972 British universities national teams.
He is an active coach in the Olympic Development Program and previously served as a coach for the Indiana State Select team. Adlard also was a clinician at the 1991 United States Youth Soccer Association national symposium and at the 1992, 1993, 1995 and 1996 NSCAA national conventions.
Adlard received a master of arts degree in English from Evansville in 1984. He earned a certificate of education in physical education and English from Loughborough University in Loughborough, England, in 1972.
He and his wife, Shelly, have two children -- Susan, 16, and Andy, 13 -- and reside in New Berlin.